Your Guide to Recreation Passes

Which recreation pass do I need? We’ll help you find out. Depending on where you want to go, you can make the best choice by asking yourself a few questions: Which agency manages the site(s) you want to visit? Are you going for a day trip or planning a longer visit? Will you go to more than one location? Do you plan to visit more places later?

If you plan to visit America's public lands more than occasionally, entrance and recreation fees can add up. For active recreationists, purchasing an Annual Pass makes good sense.

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Please read our Recreation Pass FAQs for answers to more specific questions.

America the Beautiful Pass

America the Beautiful National Parks Pass - 2020

If you're looking for a national park pass, a national forest pass, and a pass valid at federal public lands across the country, this is it. The America the Beautiful Pass is your ticket to over 2000 public land sites nationwide (here's a partial list of locations). The standard annual pass is $80 and valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.

The America the Beautiful Pass is also available as an annual or lifetime Senior Pass for 62 and older, an annual Military Pass, a lifetime Access Pass for the permanently disabled, and an annual Every Kid Outdoors Pass for 4th graders. These passes offer reduced costs and additional amenities if you qualify.

What it covers: Entrance or day-use fees for National Parks, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Land Reclamation, Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife locations nationwide.

Not covered: State parks, camping fees, special use fees/permits, tours, commercially operated vehicles.

Important: If you have the America the Beautiful Pass, you do not need a Northwest Forest Pass. The America the Beautiful Pass is valid at National Forest sites and includes all the benefits of the Northwest Forest Pass.

Northwest Forest Pass

Annual Northwest Forest Pass

If you're only visiting U.S. Forest Service sites in Oregon and Washington, the Northwest Forest Pass will cover all of your day-use and parking fees. This is available as a hard copy Annual Northwest Forest Pass for $30, or as a $5 National Forest Recreation Day Pass (available as hard copy or print at home on-demand ePass).

What it covers: Day-use or parking fees at National Forests in Oregon and Washington where day-use fees are charged.

Not covered: National parks, state parks, camping, special use fees/permits, backcountry permits.

Important: This pass is often confused with the Washington State Parks Discover Pass. State Parks and U.S. National Forest Service locations are operated by different agencies. Make sure you know ahead of time which agency manages the location you're visiting and which pass will work for you.

State Park Passes

Every state manages its own state parks independent of federal agencies. If you need a pass for a state park, you’ll need to contact that state park for more information.

In the Pacific Northwest, Washington offers a Discover Pass for Washington State Parks as well as self-service day passes in limited locations. Oregon State Parks offers day-use parking permits as well as 12 month and 24 month parking permits.

The Everything Pass?

Isn’t there a single pass for everything? Our public lands are managed by several different state and federal agencies. Unfortunately there isn't a single pass that covers them all, but you can purchase multiple passes to get as much coverage as possible. If you're a frequent visitor of public lands, we recommend purchasing the America the Beautiful Pass for federal recreation sites nationwide and purchasing a state park annual pass for the state managed lands you plan to visit.

Your dollars at work

Recreation fee revenues fund essential visitor services. They pay for trash pickup at trailheads and campsites, clean restrooms, trail maintenance and repair, and safety and security improvements. Sometimes these funds go toward major projects helping to reduce the growing maintenance backlogs our public lands have experienced for many years.